Chicken Tikka Masala Curry Invented in Glasgow

Hot on the heels of Birmingham’s investigations into seeing if the city can trademark the curry name of Balti comes a claim from Scotland for the invention of Chicken Tikka Masala Curry.

The Ali family of the Shish Mahal restaurant in Glasgow have lodged a claim to the European Union to have Chicken Tikka Masala Curry made a “Protected Designation of Origin”.

The restaurant owners claim that they invented the dish in the 1970s by adding a sauce to the Chicken Tikka dish.

The claim for recognition by the European Union has been submitted by the Labour MP for Glasgow Central.

The Ali family claim that they just want Glasgow to be recognised as the source of what is now the most popular curry in the UK.

But if Chicken Tikka Masala Curry gets the protected designation, then the curry wouldn’t be able to be made outside Glasgow in the same way that champagne can only come from the Champagne region of France.

It’s hard to say how the claim will progress through the legal system and it could be at least two years before the result is known.

We’re sure that the claim will be strongly contested by curry makers throughout the United Kingdom.